Events, By Category and Date:

Free public screening followed by moderated, expert-led discussion about mental health.
Mon. 12 March 2018 (6:00PM-8:45PM)
Lindsay Room│Halifax Central Library│5440 Spring Garden Rd.
Come early, seating is limited. No reservations.

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I Smile Back trailer

Synopsis
"I Smile Back is a 2015 American drama film directed by Adam Salky and based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Amy Koppelman .... The film stars Sarah Silverman as an upper-middle-class wife and mother struggling with mental illness and addiction. Outwardly, Laney (Sarah Silverman) appears to have the perfect suburban life. She has two loving children, a caring husband, and an opulent, upper-middle-class home. Beneath her seemingly pristine image lie anxiety, depression, unresolved childhood issues, and destructive behavior, which jeopardize everything she holds dear." [Source: Wikipedia].

Moderator: Tim Krahn (Research Associate, Novel Tech Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS).

Facilitators:

• Sherry Stewart is a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, and Community Health & Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Addictions and Mental Health, and a licensed clinical psychologist in the province of NS. Sherry is also Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Gambling Issues and Associate Editor for Addiction. She has three decades of experience in researching the role of psychological factors in contributing to addictive behaviors and comorbid emotional disorders. Sherry has a particular interest in coocurring emotional disorders and addictions in women. She has published extensively on topics related to addiction, mental health, and their inter-relationships. Link here to her Mood, Anxiety, and Addiction Co-morbidity (MAAC) lab to find out more about her team's work.
• Golda Matthews is a Clinical Practice Educator with the Mental Health and Addictions Program at Central Zone Nova Scotia Health Authority. She has been a social worker for the past 16 years, with the majority of those years working in some aspect of the mental health and addictions program – primarily with individuals and groups struggling with substance use and / or gambling. Golda is currently working with both of the two–week addictions day treatment programs in Halifax: one that is open to all genders, and the other that is women’s specific. Her training background has primarily been in Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with a keen interest in strengths based approaches that include understanding how kindness and compassion can influence the recovery journey and wellness.  
• Letitia Meynell is an associate professor of philosophy (cross-appointed with gender and women’s studies) at Dalhousie University, specializing in philosophy of science, epistemology and feminist philosophy. While her research addresses the epistemology of pictures and thought experiments (especially in the sciences) as well as feminist critiques of biology, her teaching has focused mostly on a critical engagement with the sciences. This includes courses on the philosophy of biology and the philosophy of science more generally, as well as courses addressing the fundamental logical and epistemological structure of scientific reasoning and the roles of ethics in the natural and applied sciences. She also teaches a course in the philosophy of sex and love and as a member of the NTE Impact Ethics research team she brings her eye for feminist issues and interest in science to various bioethical issues.

Topics for discussion

• alcohol abuse
• addictions
• anxiety
• bipolar disorder
• childhood trauma
• comorbidities
• coping
• family dynamics & structures
• gender roles & expectations
• prescription drug misuse
• parenting
• substance use motives

Discussion questions

• under development

Reviews

• Catsoulis, J. (22 Oct 2015). Review: 'I Smile Back' traces a mother's addiction. New York Times.
  
• Frank, P. (2 Nov 2015). 'I Smile Back' tackles mental illness with excruciating realness. Sarah Silverman and writer Amy Koppelman discuss the furtue of "I Smile Back" anti-heroine. Huffington Post.
• Harman, J. (23 Oct 2015). Sarah Silverman's 'I Smile Back' is hard to watch. See it anyway. Elle.
• Foundas, S. (25 Jan 2015). Sundance film review: 'I Smile Back'. Sarah Silverman's deep-dive performance as a drug-addled New Jersey housewife elevates director Adam Salky's prosaic addiction drama. Variety.

Topical Reading

Ha, Thu-Huong. (18 Dec 2013). How should we talk about mental health? Ideas.Ted.Com